Not that diary

First some background: Uttar Pradesh continues to be the most populous state of India and comparable to Brazil in terms of total persons residing (in 2014 at least).  Over the centuries this state and its numerous cities saw Buddha gain enlightment, saw the Turks come and go, became the home of the Nawabs in the Mughal era and changed the course of British colonial rule in India. Today this fertile land is mired in class-related politics and struggling to move ahead as other states in India leap forward. The towns of Meerut and Mathura, hugely important historically, have shaped me through ancestral connections. I spent many summers in Meerut. Less so in Mathura where my visits were shorter but always interesting as the family dynamics played about. As the next generation of my extended family has started moving out, their ties with these cities and in turn mine have become more tenuous. On my recent visit I ...